Saying that the Baptist tag creates a barrier for potential students, university officials are exploring a name change for the 51-year-old school - a prospect that concerns some alumni who fear HBU's religious identity would be de-emphasized.

Although an alternative name hasn't been chosen, one possibility mentioned at an HBU town hall meeting last Thursday was "Morris Christian University," after Stewart Morris, a founding father and major donor.

At the town hall meeting, one of two held last week, HBU board member Ray Cox Jr. argued that "the name Houston and the name Baptist are somewhat limiting to a national Christian university. ... That's why we are considering changing the name."

The discussion began last November when the board formed a committee to examine the issue, said HBU spokesman Kim Gaynor. The committee held six focus group meetings with alumni, students, supporters and employees, and commissioned a brand awareness study.

The study showed that "others out there are unable or difficult to see who we are as a university due to the name," Cox told the audience at the town hall, which was streamed live online. A name change "would break down those barriers, let down those barriers to see who we have been, who we are and who we will continue to be."

Not the first time

According to Gaynor, the notion of changing HBU's name has arisen several times during the history of the school, which was called Houston Baptist College until 1973. The idea was put on hold until a new president came on board, Gaynor said.

In recent years, the school's profile has shifted significantly from its origins with an inaugural freshman class of 193 students. Only about one-third of HBU's 2,500 students are Baptist.

Last year, the university voted to add three non-Baptists to the board of trustees, making HBU the first university affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas to allow non-Baptist trustees.

At the town hall meeting, Cox denied that a name change would distance the school from its religious identity.

"There has been some discussion about us running away from the Christian roots and that's the farthest thing from the truth," Cox said, adding that the "core of what the school stands for is not going to change."

The HBU-commissioned survey of 1,129 current and prospective students and faculty showed that the current name wasn't the best fit with the university's vision of becoming "a comprehensive national Christian university," Mark Denison, a board member and chairman of the name change committee, said at the town hall.

Denison said officials are also considering dropping Houston from the university's name because the geographical term is limiting. He noted most of the students come from three surrounding counties.

Alumni concerns

The timing of the change coincides with the school's transition to the Southland Conference and the addition of football in 2014, Denison said.

The name change committee, which will meet later this week to review feedback from the town hall meetings, will present its recommendations at the board of trustees meeting in May, Gaynor said.

As word spread of the possible name change, many alumni took to message boards and Facebook pages to voice concerns.

"If they get rid of the name Baptist, the school will lose its heritage and its identity," said James Kingsmill, who earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at HBU. "The university name needs to have something tied to the faith."